The U.S. Supreme Court case Parker v. Riley, 1918, revolved around the issue of land allotment among Native American tribes and whether or not a minor could legally sell their inherited land. The plaintiff was the superintendent for the Five Civilized Tribes who argued that minors were prohibited from selling their allotted lands without approval from Congress as per an act passed in 1908. On the other hand, Riley, a minor represented by her guardian Stockton, contended she had legal rights to sell her inherited property without any restrictions under Oklahoma state law which allowed minors to dispose of their real estate through guardianship proceedings. The court ruled in favor of Parker stating that federal laws superseded state laws when it came to matters involving tribal lands and affairs due to government's trust relationship with Indian tribes established via treaties and statutes over time. Therefore, even though Oklahoma law permitted such transactions by minors through guardianship proceedings; this did not apply here since federal legislation specifically restricted alienation (transfer) of these particular lands owned by members (including minors) of certain Indian tribes unless approved by Congress.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Parker v. Riley, argued that the majority's interpretation of the Act was incorrect and unjustly stripped Native Americans of their rights to land ownership. The dissenters believed that Congress intended for these lands to be held by tribal members as a means of promoting self-sufficiency and economic stability within tribes. They also pointed out inconsistencies in how similar laws were interpreted for different tribes, arguing this demonstrated an unfair application of law based on racial bias rather than legal precedent or statutory intent. Furthermore, they contended that if Congress had truly intended such a drastic change in policy towards Native American land ownership, it would have been explicitly stated in legislation rather than left up to judicial interpretation.